25 Greatest Playmates of All-Time: a Recap

After going through months of giving lengthy reviews and a countdown of the Greatest Playmates of All-Time, here is a summary of the girls who made it in my Top 25. There should be some heated debate about who was left off, and I want to hear it! I'll have an "honorable mentions" post as I promised. There are plenty of other deserving girls here, but here are a few of the justifications I've made for choosing these lovely ladies...

#25 Carrie Westcott
September 1993

Carrie was far ahead of her time - taking the edgy, rough look to the mainstream and becoming the first true "blonde bombshell" in Playboy.


#24 Cara Wakelin
November 1999

The smooth-skinned Canadian beauty was a much forgotten Playmate whose striking pictorial presence and unique looks were unmatched.

#23 Heidi Sorenson
July 1981

Far ahead of her time, she ushered in the style of the 80's with an constant array of goddess-like poses and epic nude artistry.



#22 Gillian Bonner
April 1996

Gillian's overt sexuality and piercing eyes, coupled with a playful sense of presence, made her one of the most important Playmates of the Golden Era.



#21 Crista Nicole
May 2001

Crista's beautiful curves alone are worth a thousand words. Her tall body and engaging face were curvy and set the bar for Playmates of the new millennium.



#20 Julie McCullough
February 1986

Julie set the tone for the "modernization" of the 90's, complete with a playful, fresh look and a departure from the "big hair, big makeup" look of the 1980's.



#19 Raquel Gibson
November 2005

Raquel, a more recent Playmate, is a testament to Playboy's commitment to diversity. Her Filipino-Italian looks are exotic, and her islander body is extraordinary.





#18 Carol and Darlene Bernaola
January 2000

The Bernaola twins ushered in the new millennium by offering a double dose of South American bodies, their outstanding chemistry being the focal point of each and every photo.


#17 Lisa Dergan
July 1998

Lisa was part of the historic class of 1998, although the lesser known of the bunch. Her unbelievable intimacy in each of her photos was enough to make her a major fan favorite.


#16 Kelly Gallagher
September 1994

A tall, luscious Playmate with legs for miles, Kelly's sophisticated performances and all-natural beauty were both inviting and classically reminiscent.



#15 Heather Kozar
January 1998
Playmate of the Year 1999

Heather was a prolific poser from the most outstanding era in Playboy history, when her curly blond locks and awesome posing talent earned her a number of awards.


#14 Monica Leigh
March 2006
Cyber Girl of the Year 2006

A recent superstar, Monica is an omnipresent star in modern Playboy because of her exceptional ability to strike a vast variety of poses and make her incredible looks work to perfection.



#13 Jennifer Walcott
August 2001

Jennifer took a dash of animal-like sexuality and a buxom brunette body and put it into a spicy concoction that made her a huge star into the new millennium, impacting the edginess of pictorials to come.





#12 Carmella DeCesare
April 2003
Cyber Girl of the Month February 2003
Playmate of the Year 2004

Carmella's unmatched talents made her one of the most viewed Playmates in history, as she became a Cyber Girl and ascended the ladder, eventually becoming PMOY by using her exotic looks and sinewy, sleek body.





#11 Angela Little
August 1998

With a tiny frame and an edgy but innocent posing style, Angela was one of the most underrated stars of the Playmate Golden Era. Her playful, upbeat attitude was palpable in her material, and she shone as a result.





#10 Nichole Van Croft
October 2000

Nichole stormed onto the scene with an outrageously curvaceous body combined with cute, wholesome, subduing looks that were warm and inviting. The ingenious mix of innocence and the body was a bold step that cemented her stardom.



#9 Tiffany Fallon
December 2004
Playmate of the Year 2005

Tiffany is a Playmate of modern times, but stands as an homage to the raven haired starlets of the 50's and 60's. With a curvy and silky smooth body, along with an immaculate set of intangibles that are impossible to teach, she will go down as one of the greatest.



#8 Jaime Bergman
January 1999

With a magnetic personality and breathtaking features, Jaime was one of the most photogenic girls ever to be in Playboy, with platinum blond locks and golden tanned skin. With some of the greatest performances ever seen, Jaime was an instant treasure.




#7 Alicia Rickter
October 1995

Alicia was an instant classic, and the ultimate example of understated beauty: always subtle in her ways, but definitely the archetypical girl-next-door throughout her stint in the mid-90's. Although she never used flashy techniques, she was always modestly complex in her style.



#6 Jodi Ann Paterson
October 1999
Playmate of the Year 2000

Jodi's natural talent comes from her ability to create nuanced and professional photos, which was obviously helped by her exotic Asian background and sizzling, curvy body. Her success was a result of her unique ability to steal a scene with her youthful, cheeky charm.



#5 Elisa Bridges
December 1994

Elisa was a once-in-a-lifetime Playmate, unmatched for her slim, lengthy body wrapped in kinky tan lines. Her girl-next-door attitude complemented her extremely natural body by allowing her to effortlessly create unforgettable scenes with a heavy dose of sensuality that will never again be replicated.

#4 Brooke Berry

May 2000

Brooke was the ultimate definition of Playboy's "girl next door," but never once compromised her strong, sensual presence for her innocence and delicate beauty. With a stacked body and a photogenic appeal directly linked to her outstanding talent, Brooke had legendary looks to go along with her legendary pictorial.

#3 Vanessa Gleason

September 1998

Vanessa took the art of the pictorial to a whole new level, setting a new standard for talent during the Golden Era. With her fluttery curls and wholesome face, the 19 year-old model was breathtaking and multi dimensional. Every single photo told a story, and every pose was absolutely unique; Vanessa had a knack for the camera that few girls could ever claim to have.

#2 Shannon Stewart

June 2000

Shannon took her southern charm and infectious personality to her advantage to create a persona that was unique while still offering a nod to the great Playmates of the 50's and 60's. Her classic look and mature poise and skillful posing set her apart from every Playmate since then. With what is perhaps the finest pictorial in the history of Playboy magazine, Shannon definitely laid the groundwork for a new Playmate archetype which few, if any, have ever matched.

#1 Karen McDougal

December 1997

Playmate of the Year 1998

It is hard to deny that Karen belongs in the very small handful of candidates for "greatest Playboy model ever." In all weights and measures, she has perhaps what is the greatest body in Playboy history, some of the most iconic photos in Playboy magazine, and has one of the largest fan followings of any Playmate, period. With acute posing talent and some of the sexiest, most jaw-dropping looks ever, Karen McDougal is of the same mold that true legends are made of in the nude photography world. After grabbing a PMOY title and being hugely prolific, fans still wonder whether they will see another appearance in the future. Keep dreaming, folks.

Sexy Texan

One thing we've kept revisiting within the past few months is just how strong this year's Playmate class is. The girls have been exceptional, with toned bodies, great talent, and some very good pictorials, something of an anomaly when you look at past years. Since the early
2000's, we haven't had great consistency like we've seen this year, and just when we think things are going to die down, yet another fine lady comes by and delivers.

Perhaps it's all stemming from the 55th anniversary Playmate search, which has produced some very stunning women throughout. Girls like Jessica Burciaga and others this year have been a result of that search, as is our Miss November 2009, Kelley Thompson.

Kelley is a gorgeous Texan brunette with a country girl swagger and plenty of good looks to go around. She has a voluptuous build for a girl who's not so short (5'6"), and definitely has some features that allow her to stand apart. Kelley was greatly anticipated since her debut in the 55th Anniversary Playmate Search, and many fans saw her as a legitimate Playmate candidate right from the get go. I saw it too, as her appearance in the preliminary pictorials was quite stunning, and Playboy did a great job of playing to her strengths.

With her pictorial debut as Miss November, Kelley does a decent job about using her talents. She is often hit-or-miss with her posing, and that is ultimately what hurts her, but rest assured that this is no fluke of a model. Kelley easily boosts the class of 2009, and that's no small task given the talent here.

Right from the beginning, Kelley's flannel shirt and cowgirl look plays greatly to her charming persona. She takes this to a great level in her print photos, with an awesome shot here, which really does a great job of showing off Kelley's full figure. You're immediately drawn to her amazing smile and those plump breasts, and the photographer does a good job of not making her do too much that's out of her range. The print pictorial continues with this excellent backside photo, giving viewers a shot of her balanced lower body. But the real show stopper is still Kelley's beautiful face, which is still being shot perfectly from behind her raven hair.

The shot which really characterizes her pictorial is Photo #7, which does a wonderful job of showing off Kelley's unassuming side. When you get down to it, she doesn't have a lot of very hard features on her face, and with those subtle lines and fine features, she looks very accessible and cute. This photo is innocent and sensual, and does a great job of showing off just how awesome her body is.

Overproduction abounds in certain parts of Kelley's pictorial, not to mention awkward posing, like in this photo. Again, Kelley's posing talents do not range very widely, and she is restricted by this unfortunate fact. Thus, she comes off as very inconsistent in her pictorial, often mixing a jaw-dropping shot with a dud.

Still, Kelley is smoking hot, mainly because of her gorgeous facial features. When her forehead is covered up fine by her fluttery hair, her pretty smile and small eyes beat out every girl of 2009 in their pure beauty. The variety in the pictorial is also great, with closing shots like this one doing a good job of playing to Kelley's strength of using her face as a focal point, and not her movement.

Consensus...

• Facial: A+ Probably the prettiest of 2009, and her greatest strength
• Body: A- A bit disproportionate at the thighs, as her buttocks don't taper down normally
• Talent: B Her biggest weakness; needs to work on being consistent with her posing
• Pictorial: B+ As a result of inconsistency, the pictures were hit-or-miss in quality
• Centerfold: A- Probably the best centerfold of 2009
• Overall: A Kelley has turned heads and done a great job breaking out as a young model. Although she needs to work on her posing abilities, there's no doubt that she can make a huge run for PMOY, and has the prize in sight. Although she faces some of the stiffest competition in years, don't be surprised if she makes some fans' top 3, and maybe even the top spot. With looks that can kill and a charm that's exuded in all her photos, Kelley's "Miss Congeniality" status can carry her a long way, as can her gorgeous face and admirable proportions.

The Right Moves

So, with a year of disappointment in the Cyber Girl Class of '09, we have to look forward to next year's ladies and the potential that can lift up a faltering group. With a good CGOY pick (Hillary Fisher or Jamie Graham) and a nice crop of ladies to kick off the 2010 class, the tone can be set for an amazing year.

So, to my delight, we've already got some amazing CGOW's lined up for a daunting run at the 2011 Cyber Girl of the Year crown. Now, I know it's real early to be looking so far ahead, but what we may be seeing is a couple of excellent talents making their very first debuts... the first of many.

In came Mariela Henderson last week, a girl who should run away with her month's CGOM nomination. The reason is quite simple: Mariela is a small package with plenty of bite, and the bite is all in her build. I can't wait to see what else she has to offer, because in her CGOW pictorial, the photographer focused extremely well on her lower body.

Mariela quite possibly has the nicest legs of any girl to appear in Playboy in years. I'm not usually one to tout a nice pair of stems, but Mariela's are beyond reproach. They are visibly toned, very pleasantly muscular, and they just look juicy and sexy. She's not a very tall girl (a mere 5'2"), so she isn't the "leggy" type, per se. However, those sultry thighs come up to meet a gorgeously curved butt, which is so toned, yet so plump, it's just tough to describe.

When it comes down to it, Mariela has a very nice lower body (buttocks and legs), but her upper body doesn't balance it so well, with some small breasts. She has a decently cute face, albeit not quite so smoothly toned and beautiful as many others. Still, if photographers concentrate on her strengths, where she goes above and beyond, she could be a bigtime success.

One girl who truly wowed me today was an Italian beauty by the name of Daniella Mugnolo. Daniella left me dazed and mesmerized, simply because she's the all-around package. With great height (5'8") while still being very slender (115 lbs.), Daniella is very proportioned while being sexy and sleek. Her number one strength, however, is her sexuality.

In her CGOW pictorial, a recycle of her "Fresh Faces" edition, Daniella is stunning. Wearing a silky little piece of lingerie in the shower, she strips it off perfectly and slowly for the camera, and does a great job with every little move and glimmer in her eyes. She has that European charm, but definitely has an American bite when it comes to her approach to her pictorials. She is extremely sexual, being aggressive when she gets fully naked, and not being the least bit bashful about throwing out a full-frontal assault.

My advice to Playboy: don't mess too much with this formula you have going for Daniella. She is immaculate. Her facial expressions are extremely engaging, with those pouty lips and those sleepy, dark eyes taking on a sexual, hedonistic tone. As long as she's shot the same way... no gimmicks, just let the model move and be herself... Daniella can go very far, and perhaps challenge for CGOY in 2011.

Those are my two MVP's so far for next year. Here's to a great one!

Messing With Perfection

As this year's Cyber Girl of the Month class has been far less than stellar, one hopeful that I and many others had pinpointed from the very start, Hillary Fisher, just had her time in the spotlight. After having a stellar showing as CGOW months ago, Hillary looked to be the one to steal the year's final prize and take it to the house with ease.

After a month of Hillary's features, I can safely say that there is no doubt she will be a force this year in the running for CGOY 2010. I mean, there really is no competition from anyone else -- except, of course, fo

r Jamie Graham, whose CGOM performance was second to none. Surely, Hillary, with all of her outstanding sexiness and awesome talent could surely sweep everyone and dominate the year? Well, let's take a look first.

While it's true that Hillary is head and shoulders above almost all of the girls so far this year, in other years she would be in a bit of trouble. With an uninspired and flat performance in her pictorials, the ever-so-sexy Miss Fisher was unimpressive. Even in her first pictorial, things just didn't transpire right, and the production value suffered. Her best photo was a bit of an oddity, and needed a gimmick pose to be sexy. Although ultimately Hillary's cut, toned body was very attractive, it just seemed to not go anywhere.

Things only got worse in Week 2, with some amateurish posing and horrid photography. It just seemed to not go anywhere, and only seemed to waste the talent that she had. The curls in the hair just made it seem frizzy and unkempt. Her body wasn't lit right, and so it seemed to not have the dynamic curvature and volume that it did before.

Admittedly, Hillary is, in the end, the best looking girl of 2009. She is just drop dead sexy, and in Week 3 she picked up the slack and delivered some very good shots. Taking on a more nuanced and subtle posing style, she did a great job with innocent photos like this one, and this excellent full body shot showing off her great look in natural lighting. As I mentioned, Hillary looks so good when lighting is used sparingly, and when she's allowed to move around with lighter, more natural gestures. When the photographers ruin her pictorials with overproduction and overdirection, you get the problems seen in her other weeks.

When you look at her and take a step back, you see the same awesome model as in her CGOW pictorial: strong, sexy, forceful and dynamic in her posing. She takes charge in front of the camera, and when she is comfortable in her own skin, she shines. When Playboy gets in the way and tries to do too much (overdoing her hair, her set, her posing direction), things go wrong. I'm sure that she could do more, but ultimately, the best showing of the year is still in the hands of Jamie Graham, who show

ed near-perfect posing talents and an even sexier body than Hillary.

Consensus...

Facial: A

Hillary's greatest strength is her bright smile and gorgeous natural looks that set her far apart from the rest of the 2009 class.

Body: B+

Hillary keeps her body very toned and has awesome proportions. However, a questionable set of breast implants and skin that's not always flawless in front of the cameras sets her back.

Talent: B+

We all know what Hillary has the capability of doing, but she takes too much direction from photographers and producers. When she gets into a natural groove, she soars.

Pictorials: B-

Again, Hillary has loads of potential. However, her showing in her CGOM set was extremely mediocre, and at times below average. She has to concentrate more on being natural and using her acute presence.

Videos: B

Hillary doesn't look great in motion, often seeming robotic and unnatural. Again, it might be a product of her being out of her comfort zone, but she looks far better in photos.

Overall: B+

While offering a better showing than almost all of the other entrants in 2009, Hillary fell far short of expectations. Her pictorials are some of the bigger disappointments in 2009, but I can still root for her chance to win CGOY 2010, because of her massive potential. If she has several months to offer retribution and to show off what she can really do, I'll take them in a heartbeat. Still, she was outshone by fellow CGOM Jamie Graham this year, since Jamie's overall performance was far stronger.

The Plot Thickens

There's no secret that this 2009 Playmate class is shaping up to be what is possibly one of the best ever. It certainly has become one of the best we've seen in several years, possibly since the Golden Era years of the late 90's and early 2000's, when Playmates were refreshing, innovative, and uniquely awe-inspiring. We saw a lull in the creative engines over at Playboy for a few years, but that all seems to have come to an end with the recent entries in the race for PMOY 2010. The class has been deep and gorgeous, and just when it seemed like it couldn't get any better, they gave us Kimberly Phillips in September, who was a knockout and easily in the Top 3.

This month, they didn't make it any easier.

They stuck to their guns of delivering quality models by introducing Lindsey Gayle Evans, a blond young bombshell from Louisiana bayou country. She has every bit of the southern belle look that we crave in wholesome blond Playmates, and then some. She is unique, built like a sex machine, and is incredibly, deeply talented. So much so, that she again rattles the discussion of who the top prize should go to. Should she sneak into the top 3 with her stellar performance?

Let's take a look at Lindsey's high-quality work that really makes her significant. You'll notice that even with clothes on, Lindsey's charm and presence are unmistakable. And when she sheds those clothes, the combination of her movements and her eyes perched upon that beautiful face make for some great entertainment. Not to mention her body, whose incredible 5'10" frame makes for some serious model-like posing, like with this one, showing off her long legs and proportionate butt.

As you go through her pictorial, you start to notice that there truly is a lot to this girl's talent. Not only is she physically a great woman because of her proportions despite being so tall, but she knows how to use those measurements wonderfully. This photo is a very intriguing shot of her, with a bottomless view of her hips that draws attention with lighting and a mysterious facial expression. Because her frame is so long, often she makes good use of her legs, but it's also often best used when she curls up and gets close in on the shot, instead of going lengthwise. The photographers did a great job of capturing Lindsey's legginess, with an an amazing upside down picture and a nice view of her curled up on the couch. Lindsay's makeup was also done perfectly, accentuating her amazing eyes.

The great material doesn't stop, with the pictorial ending out with this sexy silhouette again capturing that look, and this artsy picture taking an intimate look at her personal glow in the natural light.

Consensus...

Facial: A

Lindsey's face is wholesome and cute, with luscious, deep eyes and beautiful, smooth facial structure with understated cheekbones.

Body: A-

Her body is very lean, although not entirely toned. Her legs are very long and her height comes across well in photos, lending to excellent proportions because of her gorgeous backside.

Talent: A

It may be more due to her photogenicity, but Lindsey is as good a poser as any this year, which certainly puts her over the top in the Playmate race. She makes excellent use of her tall frame, using her legs better than any 2009 Playmate.

Pictorial: A+

A rich, wondrous pictorial full of various themes and picture-perfect production value.

Centerfold: B

Videos: B+

The videos captured Lindsey's playful and active posing style, but often didn't show enough solid material to make them truly engaging.

Overall: A

Lindsay is just the latest Playmate of 2009 to get an extremely high score for being a complete model with loads of depth and talent. She offers even deeper competition in the field, and where she ranks in the bunch all comes from her performance in her stellar pictorial, which may very well be the best pictorial of the year. A definite contender for PMOY, she needs to tango with the other top girls of the year for the crown. The plot thickens...

Best Photo: #14 | Worst Photo: #16

CGOY & PMOY '10 - The Race is On

Let's take a second to step back and take a look at how the races for PMOY and CGOY are transpiring so far. It's easy to see that they differ greatly in candidates and their quality, but both should be pretty intriguing given how good the top talent is and the potential for some amazing pictorials. I won't rank the ladies now - that's a job for the end of the year. However, I'll take a look at who's really carrying the torch and who the stragglers are.

The Race for Cyber Girl of the Year 2010

The Top (in no particular order)

• Hillary Fisher
• Jamie Graham
• Cassie Keller

The Middle

• Kaytee Bees
• Carlie Christine
• Netty Maj

The Bottom

• Lauren D'Marie
• Jennifer Lewis
• Rebecca Lynn

For CGOY, the race is very top-heavy. You have some great talent and clear frontrunners in the last two months with Hillary and Jamie, but the rest are just a blob of unrecognizable talent. Cassie is a fan favorite not really because of her looks, but because of her unique posing talent and impeccable technique. Kaytee Bees was the Cyber Girl 100 winner and shows the most promise outside the top 2, but there is a noticeable talent gap between #2 and 3. The rest are just disappointments, the biggest of which was Lauren D'Marie, who followed up a gorgeous CGOW performance with a flat and very uninspired CGOM entry. The results are a very thin CG class going into the final three months.

The Race for Playmate of the Year 2010

The Top (in no particular order)

• Dasha Astafieva
• Jessica Burciaga
• Kimberly Phillips

The Middle

• Candice Cassidy
• Hope Dworaczyk
• Crystal McCahill

The Bottom

• Jennifer Pershing
• The Shannon Twins

On the Playmate side of things, everything is noticeably more of a level playing field. It's so deep, I can see anyone I ranked in 'the middle' winning it all for 2010. The top of the class is absolutely stellar: in separate years, Dasha, Jessica, and Kimberly would all win PMOY. But here, only one can win. Still, the talent runs deeper, with Candice Cassidy being a truly legitimate contender, and Hope being a possible fan favorite. The Shannon twins were an experiment gone wrong, and Jennifer Pershing is not even worth the mention. These, however, are minor blemishes in an otherwise deep and talent-rich class. It should be a brilliant ending, with the 55th Anniversary Playmate leading the charge.

So, what does everyone think? Are these categories close to the truth? Who do you think will come out on top down the stretch? Three months to go, and plenty more fun to come.

Out Of The Blue

Every once in a while, Playboy has the ability to discover a seminal talent that really puts us back in our seats and makes us stare in awe and wonder. After all the downs that the magazine introduces, after all of the lame, cookie-cutter Playmates and Cyber Girls, they manage to pull out an absolute gem. That's what keeps us coming back, and that's what keeps them on the gold standard. Do they realize their own ups and downs? Probably not... what else would explain the Shannon twins?

That's happening right now, as we speak. Every day, the Cyber Club introduces a marquee pictorial, such as some breathtaking Playmate Xtra entries (Kayla Collins and now the unbelievably gorgeous Laura Croft, who deserved another shot more than anybody) and a very exciting talent in this month's CGOM, Hillary Fisher. The real story of the year, however, has been the Playmates.

Oh, what a year we've had. The candidates have been second to none, and in a race like this, with talent top to bottom, one can expect things to die down towards the end. Well, they aren't dying down one bit. Enter Kimberly Phillips, Miss September, who has just crashed the PMOY race as a relative unknown, and stolen the hearts of thousands. She's just appeared out of the blue, and has become easily one of the top contenders for the year's crown.

One look at Kim will tell you all about why she's so special. She is the quintessential girl next door of the modern era: very tall (5'8"), very busty, and curvy to a point where she doesn't look like a twig with a bra on. She has perfect proportions, and her model-like size combined with her sweet and unassuming persona makes her a bit of an oddity. Being such a ridiculously proportioned girl, she stays well grounded.

Kimberly's pictorial is awesome, full of variety and life. This full frontal shot is jaw-droppingly amazing, with that curve along her belly and that bald hip line looking especially incredible. You can see an hourglass figure, and in such a tall girl it really makes for a sight to see. You can even see her relative voluptuousness more clearly in this photo. After a playful series of carwash photos that don't do a whole lot to enhance the quality of the pictorial, she returns to the bedroom, stripping down in this natural and very candid photo.

Kim then unleashes a sexual tide, looking frazzled and extremely flirty after taking off a lacy top and slinky underwear. She alternates this with a strong sense of innocence under a soft light, allowing her to show off her strong versatility. She caps it all off with an unusually sexy centerfold, which I found to be very interesting in that it doesn't really look like her at all. Although she looks very different in it, her dark, small eyes shimmer, and as in her pictorial, are very tantalizing.

Consensus...
Kimberly Phillips is the real deal, there is no doubt. Her subtle posing style and fantastically unusual body are her main weapons, and she produces top quality photos with no gimmicks whatsoever. She may not be as flashy as this year's top girls, like Dasha Astafieva or Jessica Burciaga, but she has her own style that sets her apart. She is the ultimate modern girl-next-door, and truly carries with her a sense of the present. In fact, she is so representative of the modern vision of a sexy woman that she may define the 2009 year if she is to win PMOY. And for that prize, she is a very, very serious contender, if not #1 in many peoples' eyes.

Scorecard (click to enlarge):